Welcome to Episode 163 of the Winging It Travel Podcast. James invites you on an inspiring journey with Amy Suto, a full-time digital nomad, freelance writer, published author, and ghostwriter. Join us as we explore Amy's remarkable transition from a Hollywood TV writer to a life filled with adventure, travel, freedom and self-discovery. Amy shares her travel experiences, revealing how her nomadic lifestyle has transformed her identity and played a crucial role in her healing journey from an...

Welcome to this audio-immersive episode, where we go on a road trip from Vancouver to Coupeville on Whidbey Island in Washington. This episode is a treasure trove of travel stories and experiences that will inspire your next adventure travel plans. From the moment James begins pre-packing for the trip, you’ll feel the excitement build as he navigates through border control, setting the stage for an incredible exploration of the Pacific Northwest. As James recounts his journey, he paints a...

Welcome to Episode 162! In this episode of the Winging It Travel Podcast, host James Hammond takes listeners on an enlightening journey into the world of travel points and rewards with special guest Spencer Howard, the innovative founder of Straight to the Points. If you’ve ever wondered how to elevate your travel experiences while maximizing your budget, this episode is a must-listen. Spencer shares his unique story, transitioning from a career in politics to becoming a travel expert...

Welcome to episode 161! In this episode of the Winging It Travel Podcast, host James Hammond invites you to embark on an inspiring journey with Doni Belau, the visionary founder of Girls' Guide to the World. This pioneering women-only tour company has been empowering female travellers since 2009. Doni shares her personal travel experiences, recounting how her childhood adventures laid the groundwork for her passion for cultural immersion and adventure travel. With Girls Guide to the World...

Hello + welcome to episode 160! In this captivating episode of the Winging It Travel Podcast, host James Hammond welcomes Leah Arao, a Filipino-American traveller + co-host of the Ticket 2 Anywhere podcast. Join them as they dive deep into Leah's fascinating travel experiences and recent journey to the Philippines, where she reconnects with her heritage + uncovers the hidden gems of this stunning archipelago. Leah's stories from Balabac, an untouched paradise in Palawan, are reminiscent of...

Hello and welcome to episode 159. In this episode of the Winging It Travel Podcast, host James Hammond takes you on an inspiring journey as he chats with Laura, known to many as Lo on the Road. Laura runs captivating food tours in the enchanting cities of Dublin + Florence, and her travel stories are nothing short of remarkable. From her beginnings in Canada to her adventurous leap into Europe, Laura's first solo trip at age 26 sparked a passion for travel that would change her life forever....

Hello and welcome to Episode 158 with Lisette Alvarez, who joined me for an in-person interview at Podcast Movement to discuss Cuba. Lisette is a Cuban-American who has visited the country and shares about Cuban culture and how to travel there. We discuss Lisette's background as a military kid, her cultural identity, and the historical context surrounding her travel to Cuba. Lisette shares her first impressions of Havana, the emotional significance of her trip, and the cultural exchanges...

Hello and welcome to Episode 157 with Neil Laird, a TV producer, novelist, documentary maker, and avid traveller. Neil Laird is LGBTQIA+ and a multiple Emmy-nominated director of historical films for Discovery, BBC, PBS, History Channel, National Geographic, and many other networks. For 25 years, he has produced over 1000 hours of "non-fiction" films about the ancient world whilst travelling to over 70 countries. His films feature crumbling Egyptian tombs, lost Mayan cities, and mysterious...

Welcome to this week's bonus episode as I share a new concept for the Winging It Travel Podcast. This is an immersive audio episode about my 20 km return hike to Garibaldi Lake over one night and two days. I share my experience hiking up with forest sounds and hiking poles, my reaction to the fantastic views of Garibaldi Lake, and the ups and downs of camp life. The elevation was 900m from the parking lot, with most of the elevation occurring in the first 6km of the hike towards the...

Hello and welcome to Episode 156 with Chip Walter, the Vagabond Adventurer. Chip is a storyteller, National Geographic Explorer, + author who takes an epic journey, exploring all seven continents - never by jet. Sharing it one day, one culture, one experience at a time. Chip has completed 600 days of exploring across seven continents and 120,000+ miles so far. In this conversation, Chip shares his epic journey of travelling across all seven continents without flying, emphasizing the...

Welcome to episode 155! This week, Shafik Meghji rejoins me for a second time to discuss travelling in Patagonia. In this episode, we will touch on Cordoba, Argentina's second city, and why it isn't on the traveller's radar for travel in Argentina. We discuss the best times to travel to Patagonia, the issue of over-tourism, and the different entry points into the region. We explore the landscapes and attractions of Patagonia's Argentine and Chilean sides, including the Peninsula Valdes,...

Hello, and welcome to episode 154! This week, I am joined by Tony R. Vega, a legally blind content creator who shares his journey of walking the Tokaido Road between Kyoto and Tokyo and his life living in Hawaii, USA. In this conversation, Tony discusses his experiences living in Hawaii and his love for Japan. He shares his journey of learning Japanese and his passion for the country's culture. Tony also talks about his walks across Japan, including the historic Takaido road from Kyoto to...

Hello, and welcome to episode 153! This week, I am joined by Marie DeCosse, the founder and CEO of Nomad Travel Groups, which launched a week before this podcast episode's release. Read below for a description of what Nomad Travel Groups can offer.As founder Marie DeCosse sat with friends gazing at the tranquil waves ebbing from the coast of Saboga, Panama, a conversation unfolded about life's joys—relationships, freedom, and travel. This conversation sparked a realization: why work...

Hello, and welcome to number 152! This week, I am re-joined by Dave Seminara, the author of Mad Travelers: A Tale of Wanderlust, Greed, and the Quest to Reach the Ends of the Earth, which I read.I find Dave fascinating to speak with; he is always welcome back on the podcast. Today, he is back to talk about a recent trip to the Baltics, a month-long trip to Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. We talk about hidden gems in those places and why these areas are some of Europe's quietest...

This week I am sharing a recent convertion with Ashley from the Eat. Explore. Love. The Podcast as we talk all things travel and below is the shownotes for the episode as written by Ashley.It’s so amazing getting to connect with other folks through this podcast with people that love to travel, and James Hammond of Winging it Travel and Roaming with Hammo is no exception. We talk a lot about going with the flow, and different…methods of transportation to get from one place to another. Hope you...

Thank you to SafetyWing for sponsoring today’s episode. They are my go-to choice for travel insurance, and here are five reasons I love using them.I love the ‘Pay as you go subscription, cancel anytime’ feature. This gives greater flexibility.I travel to many different countries, and SafetyWing covers over 180 countries!When entering a claim, you have no worries about the deductible as it is $0.Are you in a rush to book insurance? No pre-approval is needed, and it takes 5 minutes to purchase....

This is a review of my last 250 episodes, 150 of which have been guest episodes. The first half is a fun little game as I record on the fly with a number generator on Google, asking it to pick a random number between 1 and 150 (concentrating on the guest episodes). Whatever number comes up, I will give you thirty seconds as to why you should listen to that episode. A little test for my memory! The second half is more stats and reflections on the previous 250 episodes, including lessons...

Hello, and welcome to Episode 150 with Ross Borden, the founder and CEO of Matador Network. First of all, thanks for joining me on this journey to the 150th guest episode; it has been unreal! So, what better way to finish the first 150 episodes than with a special episode with Ross, who has created one of the biggest online travel brands in Matador Network? Matador is the leading online travel publisher with over 140 million monthly video views. Fast Company has named it one of 2024's Most...

I have just passed my 250th episode, so here is an updated trailer from the original one over three years ago, and I am taking a well-earned week break. Don't worry; there is more to come for the next 250! Cheers, James Patreon Shout-Out Thanks to Laura Hammond for supporting this podcast. She does so by purchasing a monthly membership on my Patreon. You can support me, too, by checking out the details below! Winging It Travel Podcast Website -...

Hello, and welcome to episode 149 with Rikimah Glymph. This week, we are talking about Rikimah's amazing journey of travelling solo to over 120 countries, 72 of which have been with her son, who is only 12! She has hosted wellness retreats and logistics conferences all over the world. When not traveling she’s dreaming of her next trip! Having a career in the travel industry made it a natural transition for Rikimah to purchase a Cruise Planners franchise. Cruise Planners allows her to not...

Hello, and welcome to this latest solo episode. I thought I would check in about returning to Vancouver to live (for the time being) and the reasons behind it. I briefly discuss our other options in Canada, our thoughts on them from last year's road trip, and why we ultimately didn't move anywhere new.  The second half of the episode includes my thoughts on areas within Vancouver worth exploring and possible options for living if you move here. Just remember to bring your cash; this is a...

Hello, and welcome to episode 148 with Will Hatton, more commonly known as the Broke Backpacker. This was such a super fun episode to record. There were so many laughs, quality anecdotes, and serious tips for budding travellers or entrepreneurs.  Will has set up around 30 different businesses in his time, with some successes and failures along the way. He lays out all the lessons learned from those experiences. He talks us through how he created a tour in Pakistan on Snapchat, and in 24...

Hello and welcome to this latest solo episode, where I combine my week in Portland with some stories from my time at Euro 2016 in France in honour of the current Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. The first half covers my first-ever event at TravelCon with an excellent summary of my fabulous time meeting great people, listening to inspiring creators, attending fantastic events and seeing some fellow podcasters. The bulk of the first half is my favourite things to do in Portland, such as...

Hello, and welcome to number 147 with a returning guest, Katrina Mcghee. Since we last spoke in 2022, Katrina has released a book and she is here today to talk about it! Are you contemplating a career break but unsure where to start? Join us in this insightful episode, "Career Break Success: How to Plan, Execute, and Thrive," where we delve into the essential strategies for taking a successful career break. Discover the benefits of a career break, from personal growth and skill development...